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Jon Daniels was named Baseball America's 2010 Major League Executive of the Year on Friday. There's little doubt he deserved that one. And the timing is fitting leading into the Winter Meetings.

It was last year at the Winter Meetings that Daniels really started putting together a World Series team. He traded Kevin Millwood to free up space in a tight budget. That enabled him to eventually sign Rich Harden, Vladimir Guerrero and Darren Oliver. Going 2-for-3 on that front wasn't bad. But to review what Daniels did in less than a year to put this team on its way (note that this isn't all of it, but some of it):

* Traded Millwood to sign other free agents, including the guy that led the team in RBIs (Guerrero)
* Signed Colby Lewis out of Japan
* Moved C.J. Wilson from reliever to starter
* Acquired Andres Blanco and Matt Treanor before spring training ended
* Traded Chris Ray and Michael Main to get catcher Bengie Molina
* Traded for Jorge Cantu and Cristian Guzman in an effort to help bolster club at deadline
* Made the biggest acquisition of the season in getting Cliff Lee from the Mariners
* Found time to attend a court hearing or two and did all of this with the team in bad financial

There's, obviously, more to list, but you get the point. Few executives did what Daniels did and they weren't GMs of a team in bankruptcy.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick rates the deadline deals made by a variety of teams as part of his "starting 9" series and includes the Rangers. He gives the club a "B" for all of its deals, headlined by Cliff Lee, but including other secondary trades. Here's what Crasnick wrote about the Rangers:

The Rangers pulled off a coup when they acquired Lee just as it appeared the Yankees were about to land him. Lee suffered some back problems and posted a 1-4 record and a 6.35 ERA in August. But he's pitched back-to-back gems against the Yankees and Mariners in September, and health permitting, he'll line up against CC Sabathia or David Price in the first game of the Division Series.

If you proceed under the assumption that Lee will leave Texas as a free agent this winter, the ultimate measure of this deal will come in October. If Lee pitches the Rangers to the World Series, it will merit an "A" grade regardless of how Seattle's young prospects fare. If he pitches poorly in the postseason and the Rangers make a quick exit, the deal will be perceived as a bold effort that failed to work.

But the Rangers have said they want to re-sign Lee, and general manager Jon Daniels isn't conceding anything at this point.

"We're not oblivious,'' Daniels said. "The average person who's either directly involved in the industry or just a fan has him wearing pinstripes. But we're not concerned with that. We know we have a lot to offer. At the end of the day, we believe we have a chance to win. I believe that would be a pretty compelling sales pitch if we do.''

Daniels hasn't had much luck with his other additions. Bengie Molina has done a nice job handling the pitching staff, but he's hitting .208 with a .540 OPS as a Ranger. Jorge Cantu has no RBIs in 68 at-bats with Texas, and Cristian Guzman has been equally bad. Jeff Francoeur has made a nice impression since coming over from the Mets, and will push for a spot on the postseason roster.

The Rangers didn't give up any top-tier prospects in their secondary trades, but parted with some talent to acquire Lee. If Smoak turns into a productive everyday player or Josh Lueke overcomes his off-field issues and parlays his mid-90s fastball into big league success, that's the price for acquiring a pitcher the magnitude of Lee.

I think the 'B' grade is fair. The Lee trade is a good one no matter what happens in the postseason, in my opinion. As a GM, Daniels' job is to give his team the best chance to get to the playoffs and then make a run once they get there. He had to give up something to get a guy like Lee, but it was worth the gamble -- no matter what happens. The other deals did not work out as the Rangers had hoped. They haven't gotten much from Guzman and Cantu, as Crasnick describes. I do like the Francoeur deal and think he'll find his way onto that postseason roster.

Forgetting that little three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium way back in April, a mostly young Texas Rangers team that smiles, makes antler and claw hand signs and dons rally caps in the dugout, have learned to go toe-to-toe with those poised professionals in pinstripes.

After Sunday's 4-1 win at Rangers Ballpark to conclude a dramatic series -- and the last series of the regular season between the two clubs -- each team has gained a home sweep while they split a two-game series in Arlington a month ago. Add it up: Eight games, four wins each.

But, if the Rangers and New York Yankees meet in the American League Division Series -- and the Yankees must hold off the stubborn Tampa Bay Rays for that to happen -- how will the Rangers, with only designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, relief pitcher Darren Oliver and ace Cliff Lee (plus recent acquisitions Cristian Guzman and Jeff Francoeur) boasting postseason experience handle the defending champs? After all, Yankees and postseason is practically synonymous.

Newly acquired Yankee and former Houston Astro Lance Berkman believes there's no equivalent for postseason experience.

"For guys like Michael Young, it won't matter one iota. He's one of the best hitters in the game. That's not going to bother him at all," Berkman said. "But I do think, for us in Houston -- I went to the postseason in ’01 and I was actually on the team in ’99, but they didn't put me on the playoff roster -- but in ’01 we got swept by the Braves and I remember I was overwhelmed by really the whole postseason environment. I felt very, very uncomfortable."

As a franchise, the Rangers have advanced to three postseasons -- 1996, 1997 and 1999. They played the Yankees all three times and lost all but one game in the three best-of-5 series. No one on today's Rangers roster played in any of those mismatches. It would take too long to list the number of current Yankees with World Series rings, not to mention the guys with multiple rings.

"I think experience is one of the greatest things you can have," said Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher," who has played in three postseasons with three different teams, including last season's triumphant Yankees. "If you look at our guys, we have a core of four guys. Just the things these guys have been able to do throughout their careers and the names that they've made for themselves, not only in the Yankee organization, but generally in the game of baseball -- Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter. Then you've got A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez], who's been doing it for 15 years. You got guys like Kerry Wood, Javy Vazquez. I mean these guys have been in the league for a long time. We've got a lot of veteran guys on this team and you can tell."

Swisher didn't even mention Cy Young Award candidate CC Sabathia, who hasn't faced the Rangers' lineup since that April series in New York.

There's no doubt that if the two clubs meet in October that the Yankees will be favored. They'll have homefield advantage and in a five-game series that can be huge, especially playing the first two in the Bronx (a couple of Lee-Sabathia matchups could make for some riveting baseball). And the New Yorkers will easily have the experience factor on their side. There's just nothing the upstart Rangers can do about that.

"The second time we went [to the postseason], I felt a lot better because I had kind of been in it and at least seeing what it was all about, so I do think it can definitely be a factor," said Berkman, who led the Astros to the 2004 NLCS and then the 2005 World Series. "Our organization had never won a playoff series and you just don't know you can do it. Having that breakthrough in ’04 against the Braves was huge. We won that NLDS in five games at their place. The next year when we came back we expected to win. It's a totally different mindset that you can only get from having done it.

"But, at some point, they're [the Rangers] going to have to break through. At some point they’re going to win and then they're going to develop a sense that they can do this, it's not this impossible mountain. It seems like it before you climb that it's that way."

As the Rangers' 2010 motto goes: "It's Time." According to Berkman, 2011 might be more their time.

We'll see. If the Yankees win the East, Game 1 is Oct. 6 at Yankee Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Manager Ron Washington said his plan is to give Josh Hamilton the day off on Wednesday, which means he would get two days of rest with the off day Thursday. Washington said he planned on doing that before the road trip began.

Assistant general manager Thad Levine said the club will inject a lubricant called synvisc into Hamilton's right knee. It's not an anti-inflammatory. The last time Hamilton had that shot was in April and he saw some improvement.

Levine said how much improvement is gained depends on the individual, so it could get him through the final month (or two) of the season or a week or two. So the club will wait and see.

Other notes:

* The club has until 11 p.m. Dallas time to make a waiver-wire trade if they want that player to be eligible for the postseason roster. The biggest need would be a right-handed bat and one that preferably plays first base. But a right-handed bat would help a lineup with many lefties. The club has shown interest in Reed Johnson, Jeff Francouer and Ryan Spilborghs (among others) and the name Mike Lowell keeps floating around, though the Red Sox may not want to trade him. Read more from ESPNNewYork on Francouer here.

* Ian Kinsler will play in Oklahoma City tonight and fly into Kansas City tomorrow. He will be activated in time for Wednesday's game, but is not expected to play. He will be activated because rosters can expand on Sept. 1, which is tomorrow.

* We discussed some of the possibilities for September call-ups on the blog this morning. Taylor Teagarden has to spend 10 days in the minors, so he won't get the call until Friday. The club does want a pitcher though for tomorrow.

* Dustin Nippert and Cristian Guzman will also be activated this week (Guzman on Wednesday, Nippert on Friday).

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers manager Ron Washington said his staff briefly discussed giving Cliff Lee an extra day of rest and then decided to discuss it more after his next start, keeping him on track to pitch Tuesday in Kansas City.

The club has an off day Thursday between the Kansas City and Minnesota road series and they could alter things to get Lee some extra time then. That's something that will be talked about next week.

"We want some input from him and we'll talk about it," Washington said. "He's the guy that's toeing the rubber, so we'll listen to what he has to say."

Though Washington, pitching coach Mike Maddux and others will have the ultimate say. Lee has allowed four or more earned runs in his last four starts. He's 0-3 with an 8.39 ERA. Opponents are batting .318 against him in that stretch. Since he arrived in Texas, Lee is 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA. The Rangers are 3-7 in Lee's starts. Despite starting the season on the disabled list, Lee has thrown 179 2/3 innings, the fourth-most in the AL.

Other notes:

* Washington said INF Alex Cora will play Saturday and Sunday against the A's. Cora will play second base both games. Andres Blanco will play shortstop on Sunday to give Elvis Andrus a day off. Cora has yet to start since he was activated this homestand.

* RHP Frank Francisco is available to pitch tonight. He warmed up yesterday and everything felt fine. So if the Rangers need him, he's ready to go.

* Cristian Guzman and Dustin Nippert were assigned to Double-A Frisco on a rehab assignment that's supposed to start today.

* A random note out of left field: Matt Harrison threw some two-seam fastballs at 96-98 mph on Monday. I asked him about that today, because I can't remember him ever throwing a two-seamer that fast (that was according to the radar gun on TV. That was the day the gun at the park didn't work). He said he couldn't remember ever throwing them that fast and figured it was because he knew Jim Thome was the only hitter he was facing and that he was particularly amped up. "I was overthrowing and the ball was even moving the other way," Harrison said. "A couple of guys mentioned it was really fast." Anyway, I just found it interesting.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers reliever Frank Francisco is not available for tonight's game after receiving a cortisone injection just below his armpit on his pitching arm.

The club said that Francisco should be able to return after a day or two. He experienced some soreness in that area, but the Rangers don't believe Francisco will need to go on the disabled list.

Other injury updates:

* Assistant GM Thad Levine said he hopes that Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz and Cristian Guzman can all go out for rehab assignments by the end of this week. They may be split up between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma City.

* Dustin Nippert is supposed to throw a bullpen tomorrow and would go out on a rehab assignment by the end of the week as well.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers manager Ron Washington is giving Cristian Guzman the night off, but he hasn't lost faith in the recent acquisition, who is just 3-for-33 at the plate in his short stint with the club.

Andres Blanco will return to the lineup for the first time in a week, starting at second base and batting ninth in the lineup. Guzman, however, will back for Saturday's game, Washington said.

"Get him some extra work with [batting coach] Clint [Hurdle], get his stroke back together," Washington said. "Give him a day to gather himself, get with Clint today and get some extra work. Got a lefty going tomorrow [John Lester] and get him back in there tomorrow."

If Blanco plays well tonight, Washington said he could earn more playing time starting Sunday, however, Washington suggested that he hasn't given up on Guzman because of his slow start after coming over from the National League.

"Believe me, Guzman can offer more than what you've seen. We've got to do what we can to get it out of him," Washington said. "Blanco will get some playing time, but Guzman can play. Y'all just haven't seen it, but he can play."

*Catcher Matt Treanor is headed to Triple-A Oklahoma City for a week of rehab work. He'll play Monday night. Treanor was placed on the disabled list on July 24 with a strained PCL in his right knee. On Friday, he was working on throwing to the bases and he also took some batting practice. Rangers manager Ron Washington said Treanor will likely stay in Oklahoma City for one week.

*To battle the heat, Washington said the Rangers will not do any pre-game work outside prior to Saturday's night game and Sunday's 2:05 p.m. start.

*The Rangers agreed to terms with 25th-round draft pick, outfielder Kendall Radcliffe, from Morgan Park (Ill.) High School. Radcliffe's great uncle was negro-leaguer Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe.

*Washington said pitcher Rich Harden remains slated to pitch Tuesday at Tampa Bay.

*If you don't have a ticket yet for tonight's game, only obstructed view and scattered single tickets remain. Standing-room only tickets, priced at $15, are now on sale for tonight's game.

*Former Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was recalled by the Red Sox, making his first start Sunday at Toronto. He went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. He is on the bench tonight as Victor Martinez gets the start behind the plate.

*For Saturday's 7:05 p.m. game against the Red Sox, only obstructed view and scattered single tickets remain. Standing-room only tickets will also be sold for that game. Good seats remain for Sunday's 2:05 p.m. series finale

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers will put Mitch Moreland at first base tonight against Javier Vazquez. The rest of the lineup is the usual group from the last few weeks. Here it is:

SS Elvis Andrus

3B Michael Young

CF Josh Hamilton

DH Vladimir Guerrero

RF Nelson Cruz

LF David Murphy

C Bengie Molina

1B Mitch Moreland

2B Cristian Guzman

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Rangers finished up a nine-game trip through the AL West on Sunday and went 4-5. They started the trip 8.5 games up on Oakland and 9 up on the Angels. They finished it 7.5 games up on Oakland and 9 up on the Angels. It's a trip that could have been better, but could have been worse. Overall, I think the club will take it considering they lost just one game off their lead.

Here are some things we learned about the club on this road trip, one that started less than 24 hours before the non-waiver trade deadline:

* Texas added two new major leaguers while on the road as corner infielder Jorge Cantu and second baseman Cristian Guzman joined the team in Anaheim.

Guzman is still trying to find some consistency at the plate, but has played the majority of games at second base since his arrival in place of Ian Kinsler, who is still on the disabled list. Kinsler is scheduled to get an MRI on Monday that should give the team a better idea of when he can start full baseball activities.

Cantu has given the Rangers a right-handed bat that plays against left-handed starters (though he’s also played against a righty if the Rangers see a steady diet of them). Cantu even filled in for Michael Young one game on this trip while Young was the DH to get some rest. Cantu is hitting 5-for-16 (.314) as a Ranger so far.

*Outfielder David Murphy is hitting so well that he’s getting more playing time these days. That’s coming at the expense of Julio Borbon. We’ll see how that plays out down the stretch. Murphy was 11-for-32 (.344) on the trip with two big homers in Seattle.

*Left-handed reliever Matt Harrison showed in Seattle that he can come in and get key left-handed hitters out in a tight situation, giving Washington an important second lefty in the bullpen when workhorse Darren Oliver isn’t available. Harrison and Scott Feldman can also pitch multiple innings when a starter struggles, as Feldman showed on Saturday in Oakland.

*Taylor Teagarden has returned to the majors with some confidence. He hit homers in consecutive games, keying a win on Friday with a two-run shot that gave Cliff Lee the lead. He’s also impressed his manager with his defense and ability to call games.

*We saw the good and bad of Rich Harden. He was great against the Angels, shutting them down to help the Rangers claim their only win in Anaheim. But in Oakland, a place where he’s had success, Harden’s fastball was all over the place. He walked five, gave up three runs and lasted just 2 1/3 innings. It now leaves questions as to whether he should make his next start or if the Rangers need to make a change again.

* Cliff Lee is really good. Do I need to say any more? (Note to Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan: Do everything you can to get him re-signed).

*The offense as a whole still isn’t hitting consistently. They batted .234 on this road trip and Michael Young, usually very reliable, is going through a bit of a funk. He hit 4-for-38 (.105) in the last nine games away from Arlington. Several Ranger players talked about the need to make adjustments and come up with the big hit. They did have spurts where they did that – they scored 10 two-out runs in an 11-6 win in Seattle and came up with key swings late on Friday in Oakland.

It will be interesting to see how the club does against Boston, New York and Tampa Bay. For more on that and this trip, check out my column here.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Rangers manager Ron Washington kept to his plan, giving Vladimir Guerrero the day off and allowing Josh Hamilton to DH after so many days in center field this week. The lineup:

SS Elvis Andrus

3B Michael Young

DH Josh Hamilton

RF Nelson Cruz

LF David Murphy

C Bengie Molina

1B Mitch Moreland

2B Cristian Guzman

CF Julio Borbon

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Manager Ron Washington decided to stick with the same lineup he had in Friday's game. That includes playing Taylor Teagarden again after his productive night. Here's the lineup:

SS Elvis Andrus

3B Michael Young

CF Josh Hamilton

DH Vladimir Guerrero

RF Nelson Cruz

1B Jorge Cantu

LF David Murphy

2B Cristian Guzman

C Taylor Teagarden

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Bengie Molina is getting the night off, but is expected to play in both day games against the A's this weekend. Here is the lineup:

SS Elvis Andrus

3B Michael Young

CF Josh Hamilton

DH Vladimir Guerrero

RF Nelson Cruz

1B Jorge Cantu

LF David Murphy

2B Cristian Guzman

C Taylor Teagarden

SEATTLE -- We interrupt the courtroom drama to bring you tonight's lineup, which includes Vladimir Guerrero at DH and in the cleanup spot and Micheal Young back at 3B after playing DH on Tuesday. Here's the lineup:

SS Elvis Andrus

3B Michael Young

CF Josh Hamilton

DH Vladimir Guerrero

RF Nelson Cruz

LF David Murphy

2B Cristian Guzman

C Bengie Molina

1B Mitch Moreland

SEATTLE -- Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler watched early batting practice on Tuesday, but was not able to take part in any baseball activities.

"He was supporting everyone," manager Ron Washington said. "He just didn't have his pom-poms."

Kinsler said he isn't sure when he will be able to get back on the field to take grounders or in the batting cages to take some swings.

"I'll get out there when they tell me I can," Kinsler said. "I hope to be out there soon."

Kinsler is still working out, just doing so with his upper body. (And his mind, too, as he beat Cliff Lee in a game of chess on Tuesday).

Kinsler said he expects to get another MRI when the club returns from this road trip. At that point, he would be four days from being eligible to return from the disabled list.

"I still expect to be back," said Kinsler when asked if he thought he'd return as soon as he was eligible. "If not, than I'll adjust."

Kinsler said he would prefer not to go out on a rehab assignment, saying he doesn't need it. He feels if he gets some time in the cages and on the field taking grounders that he'll be ready to go.

Other notes:

* Washington said he will give Vladimir Guerrero the day off Sunday in Oakland and make Michael Young the DH, just like he's doing tonight. He has Jorge Cantu at third base tonight (and was working with him during BP on Tuesday), but said he hasn't decided whether to go with Cantu on Sunday in Oakland or put Andres Blanco at third.

"I want to make sure we keep Vlad fresh," Washington said.

* Washington worked with Cristian Guzman during early BP on Tuesday. "I don't want him taking as many hits," Washington said. "We worked on getting clear of the bag and on his footwork. He's a natural short stop, not second baseman, so it's just working on some things there."

* C Matt Treanor threw on Tuesday as he is at the very beginnings of baseball activity. He was also in the gym working out. "He's further along than we expected," Washington said. The manager said the club doesn't have a timeframe yet for Treanor's return from the DL with a right knee PCL strain, but said Treanor returning on the first day he's eligible -- Sunday -- was a "longshot."

* The Rangers-Yankees game on Wednesday, Aug. 11, will be on ESPN nationally. The game will be blacked out locally, but can be seen on FSSW.

SEATTLE -- Rangers RHP Darren O'Day is back with his diary. He talks about his new teammates and planning for a wedding to rival the one Chelsea Clinton just had. O'Day now has his own facebook page at www.facebook.com/darrenoday56.

The dust has finally settled after the non-waiver trade deadline, and I love where our team stands at the moment. Our front office has gotten creative, due to our ownership situation, and landed some great players to help us through the stretch run. They have done their part, now it's up to us, the players, to do ours.

We first went out and picked up Bengie Molina who, as a pitcher, I cannot say enough good things about. He's very easy to throw to, blocks everything, and calls a great game. It's easy to have confidence in a guy who has been around for so long and seen so many things. Having a catcher like that really accelerates the learning of young pitchers like me. He sees things that the rest of us wouldn't.

Cliff Lee's work since he's been with us speaks for itself. I've never seen a guy pound the zone so relentlessly. He challenges hitters, and his aggressive approach throws hitters off. If they come up there waiting to get a fat pitch to drive, they might find themselves walking back to the dugout before they know it. He just doesn't make mistakes. He's so efficient with his pitches, that I joke with our strength coach I can do my upper body lift before every fifth game, and not have to worry about being sore, because I'll never see the mound! He eats innings and saves the bullpen every time out.

I couldn't be happier to have Jorge Cantu on our team. I never liked facing him. He's a great RBI guy and always had good at bats. If fact, he had a great one in early 2009 when he had a game winning hit off me when I was playing for the Mets. He hit a good outside slider from me right over the shortstop's head, and the Marlins walked off with a victory. When I first met him in the locker room a few days ago, I made him agree to never do that do me again. I thought we were done adding to the team, but they went out and found the perfect complement for our needs with Kins on the DL and some infield depth. I haven't gotten to see Cristian Guzman play too much, but his defense has impressed already. For a 10 and 5 guy to approve a trade from a city where his family is comfortable, it shows how much he wants to win. I think that sometimes people say that pro atheletes are all about the money. I think this is a great example of a guy showing what we really play the game for.

Quick sidenote: I think it's cool what Lebron, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade did in Miami. Although Lebron's press conference was tired, for all three to take less money to win championships is nice to see.

We recently had our annual All-Star break. For those of us who didn't make the trip to Anaheim, it's a nice three day respite in the middle of a long season. I actually hadn't been home to Atlanta to see our new house since we bought it during spring training. There isn't much time for vacations or traditional summer activities, i.e. boating, beach, or whatever it may be. So When we do have a break, a lot of guys try to fit some of that stuff in.

This year it wasn't in the cards for me. You see, I am engaged to my longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Prann, and we are getting married in November. She is busier than I am with her job as the southeast correspondent for Fox News. Therefore, we took full advantage of those three days off to knock out wedding plans and yardwork. The first two days involved food tasting, meeting the officiant, finding a rehearsal dinner venue, and finalizing the guest list. Growing up my dad liked to call yard work days "family fun day." The last day of the break, Liz and I had some family fun pulling weeds, trimming bushes, and fertilizing dying grass. Somehow, we also managed to fit in some truly fun stuff in between.

The hardest part about playing this game is being away from loved ones. We are truly blessed to play the game we love for a living, but everyone in our life makes immeasurable sacrifices. We miss weddings, kids' ball games, school plays, and countless birthdays. I think the folks waiting at home deserve a lot of credit for putting up with us throughout the year. I know I wouldn't be able to do it without the endless support of my family and friends.

Until next time that is all. The plan for Monday was for a few of us are going salmon fishing in Seattle, so hopefully I will have some pictures and material for my next blog. Shoutout to Dustin Nippert for setting it up, even though he had to stay home to recover from post-concussion symptoms. We'll rip some lips for ya bud.